Tie plate



Patented Sept. 15, 1,925.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SELLERS, 0F DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SELLERS MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TIE PLATE.

Application ma prix 2s, 1924. .serial No. 709,501'.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SELLERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Downers Grove, in the county of Du Page and State of Illinois, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Tie Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tie plates adapted for use between the rails and the crossties of a railway track, and it has for its object the provision of 'a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by reason of which a maximum of strength shall be obtained in proportion to the amount of metal used, and a maximum gripping effect shall be attained between the plate and the cross tie with a minimum of injury to the tie. It is another object of my invention to`improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects, are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which 'I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth inthe claims.

In the drawing- Fig.1 is a top face view of my improved tie plate, I,

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line/f2-2 of Fig. 1,Vv

Fig. 3 is a bottom face view of the plate,

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, p

Fig. 5V is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showingla modified form; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing -anothei` slightly modified construction. .y

Referring to the several figures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, 10 indicates my improved tie plate, having the usual shoulder at vone side in the form of a rib 11 against, which the edge of the -iiange'of the rail abuts. Spike openings 12 are provided through the plate and through the rib 11, and slightly elongated spike openings 13 are provided through the plate at the op osite side thereof. In the construction o Figs. 1 to 4, the plate is given a lateral taper both ways from the shoulder'or rib 11,- being preferably about a one in twenty taper, although any desired degree of taper may be used.

Across the bottom face of the plate in the direction to extend longitudinally of the rail and consequently transversely of the grain of the cross tie, I have provided ribs 14 and 15, the rib 14 being in position to underlie the-edge of the flange of the rail which contacts the shoulder 11, while the rib 15- is located at about the inner ends of thespike openings 13.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5, the intermediate portion of the plate is shown of uniform thickness with the edge portions 'f of the plate tapered at opposite sides of the intermediate portion, such edge taper beginning substantially at the shoulder 11 at one side and slightly beyond the rib 15 at the opposite side.

For the purpose of making the plate lighter, it is recessed on its bottom face, being provided however with strengthening ribs 16 extending across the plate diagonally in both directions so as to provide a checkerboard effect. AThis arrangement gives the plate the maximum strength at the points adjacent tothe edges of the flange of therail where the greatest pressure is applied to the plate upon the passage of a train', the strength of the plate at these points being designed to be sufficient to offset the tendency of the plate to curl upwardly at its edge portions. Moreover, by my improved arrangement of the ribs 16, I have provided in effect a truss construction, the ribs 16 being adapted to act as the link or tie members cooperating with the arches formed bythe configuration as shown. This strengthening effect is of very considerable importance as making possible a reduction in the amount of metal necessary for the desired strength and rigidity. As is clearly ,shown in Fig. 4, the top face of the plate is also inclined in both directions from the middle longitudinally with. respect to the direction in which the rail is placed upon the plate. In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the bottom face of the plate is also given a corresponding inclination at both sides thus maintaining the full thickness of the plate from one edge tothe other along its center. As will be readily understood, this corstructon provides in effect a. truss reenforcement, the ribs 14 and 15 being adapted to act as tie members with respect to the arch provided in the body of the plate.

By my construction, in which the recesses in the face of the plate are located on the bottom of the plate, water is prevented from gathering in such recesses, the ribs 14, 15 and 16, serving normally 'to prevent access to the recesses except at the eXtreme edges of the plate. The deterioration of the plate due to rust is accordingly very much reduced. Moreover, by the expedient of placing the recesses on the bottom face of the plate, I am enabled to provide the arch truss arrangement as above described, by which a maximum strength of the plate is effected. So far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to provide a construction of this type in which strengthening ribs are employed across the bottom face of the plate in position merely to contact with the cross tie but adapted normally not to sink into the tie and my claims areto be construed accordingly. A

While I prefer to employ the construction illustrated in the drawing, and above described, it will be understood that I do not wish to restrict myself to the details of such construction, except as the same are herein- $0 after specifically claimed, inasmuch as it is evident that changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A tie plate for insertion between a railroad rail and` a cross tie, comprising llat bottom face portions at the sides for contact with the tie, an intermediate bottom face portion at a higher level providing a recess between the side portions, and a plurality of strengthening ribs arranged in checkerboard style dividing the recess into sections with the lower edges of the ribs substantially in the plane of the flat portions of the bottom face.

2. A tie plate for insertion between a railroad rail and a cross tie, comprising a recess in the bottom face of the plate divided into sections by ribs, each section being in effect an arch between the ribs going in one direction, the ends of each arch being tied in substantially a truss arrangement by the ribs going in the other direction.

3. A tie plate for insertion between a railroad rail and a cross tie, having its bottom face inclined downwardly from the middle point towards opposite edges, and comprising a rib acting as a truss tie between said edge portions of the plate.

JOHN M. SELLERS. 

